Under the Gooseberry Bush
by ladylou2
Summary: Grace recieves some news, Boyd recieves some news, the rest of the team recieve some news - oh alright, they all find out something completely unexpected and full of fluffy wubbage.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys, here is a little something to help you while away another cold, wet week. This little fic just popped into my head when I was meant to be concentrating in a lecture and I couldn't resist writing it down.**

**For those of you reading 'The Letter', I will add some more soon but essays have been slowly taking over my life.**

**Disclaimer: nope they're not my characters. But if they were then we wouldn't have to wait so long between series!**

The team were sitting around the desks in the bullpen, listening like little kids as they tried to take in the information Boyd was telling them about their new case.

'…and due to that fresh evidence being handed in to the station in Dulwich, we've got a brand spanking new cold case to crack on with'

'Finally' said Spence like a child on Christmas Day, 'I've got bored of paperwork this week, give me a grisly old murder or missing family any day'

The rest of the team laughed, they all felt the same way when there was no juicy case to work on.

'Getting good Spence' laughed Eve throatily 'your humour's nearly as dark as mine'

'And that's saying something' joined in Stella, still not quite believing she was a real part of the team now.

Boyd and Grace exchanged a glance, clearly relieved that all three 'kids' were getting along well again.

'Right, now we're all one happy family, can I remind you that there are numerous boxes of evidence to sift through, endless phone calls to make and any number of shady characters from the past to ruffle up'.

'Yes boss' replied Spence deadpan, as he and Stella began to cart the evidence files over to his desk, 'I guess its time for me to start using my god-given charm on some more lucky Londoners'

'They have my sympathy' called back Eve as she headed on her way to the lab.

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Grace took off her glasses and stretched her arms backwards, trying to ease some the tension that had now built up as a result of spending the best part of a day reading through the psychological profiles. She fought back a yawn and just sat there with her eyes closed for a precious few moments.

'Oh sorry are we keeping you up Dr Foley?'

Grace jumped and looked up to see Boyd leant nonchalantly against her doorway, clearly amused that he'd caught her unawares.

'No, I'm merely trying to compile the information in my mind' replied Grace, smiling back. Why couldn't Boyd be so charming all the time? It would make her job of chief liontamer a hell of a lot easier.

'So that's what you call it then- looked to me like a sneaky nap in the corner?' came the instant reply, 'anyway team talk in the bullpen and then I think I'll be generous and let you all go home before midnight.'

'So indulgent Boyd, you just spoil me'

Grace pulled herself out of the chair reluctantly and followed him into the bullpen where Spence looked ready to fall asleep on his feet.

'C'mon Spence wakey wakey' crooned Stella patting him on the head 'looks like we've got to tell everyone how wonderful you are yet again'

He laughed and straightened up in his chair as everyone took their customary places around the glass board thingy.

'Right' began Eve 'I guess I'll go first. I've examined the bag and its contents I can safely say…'

She didn't get a chance to finish as just then the doors to the CCHQ burst open and two people rushed in…

'What the…' began Boyd starting to show his cranky side again

'Mum!' said one of the people, a handsome brunette twenty-something male.

Grace turned around in her chair, the surprise clear on her face –

'Ben, Amy - what are you two doing here?' she exclaimed happily rushing over to embrace them both.

The girl, Amy, spoke this time 'We've just found out something… and we needed to talk to you straight away - it's urgent'.

Grace looked concerned at the seriousness in her daughter's face, sensing that something clearly wasn't right. Amy was clutching a brown A4 envelope with white knuckles and Ben had his hand placed protectively on his sister's shoulder.

'We're nearly finished here but…' she started saying, turning to Boyd to seek his permission before she could find out what had made her children turn up at her workplace like this.

'Its fine Grace we'll fill you in on the details tomorrow' he replied, watching her children hurry their mother into her office and draw the blinds immediately.

There was a brief silence in the bullpen, and Spencer's mind looked like it was going into overdrive judging by the expression on his face and the furtive glance he cast at Boyd and back in the direction of Grace's office. He quickly masked it though and tuned back to Eve, still standing at the glass board thingy.

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	2. Chapter 2

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'… and when we read the results today and they didn't match, well we just thought they'd got them muddled up like they do sometimes, and they haven't, so these are the real ones… but they don't match and…'

'Calm down Amy and breathe for a moment' said Grace soothingly, trying to keep calm for the sake of her children despite the panic rising in her stomach. 'Now, take a deep breathe and tell me exactly what they told you.'

Amy pushed her long blonde hair back from her face and cast a helpless glance at her elder brother, pleading for him to take over.

'Mum, what Amy's trying to say is that we obviously have the same mitochondrial DNA because, well, you're our Mum'

'Well that's certainly reassuring' began Grace before stopping herself, 'sorry, go on'.

Ben carried on, a trace of awkwardness or embarrassment beginning to creep into his features.

'Our Mum DNA is the same, but…' he looked Grace straight in the eye, 'our Dad DNA isn't. We don't have the same father.'

The office fell silent as Grace tried to take in the new information. Her two children watched her intently looking for any sign of a reaction.

'Mum?' prompted Amy, worriedly.

Grace tried to speak but no words would come out. She took and deep breathe to steady the nerves now somersaulting in her stomach, and tried again.

'Are, are you sure?' her voice was barely above a whisper. The undisguised shock in her eyes, telling them she was just as surprised as they were.

'Yes we're sure' said Ben softly.

'But, which one of you isn't…isn't your father's child?' Grace broke down in tears as she said this, unable to comprehend what was happening. To lose her husband had been grief enough, but to now find out that her children had different fathers, well that was just ridiculous!

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	3. Chapter 3

'God, where is Grace this morning' moaned Boyd, clearly having a bad day already 'it's not like her to turn up an hour late. Not without warning me anyway'

The rest of the team all looked equally worried about the profiler's out-of-character disappearance, but Boyd looked ready to kill someone at the thought of having to interview potential suspects on his own all day.

'Relax boss, she's probably just hit traffic or something' reassured Eve, casting frantic glances at Spence and Stella. It certainly wouldn't be an easy day without Grace to keep Boyd in check. Last time she'd left, he had barely left his office for a month, let alone actually talked to any of them.

'Yeah she's probably just putting her make-up on' said Spence shrugging apologetically for not having anything better to say.

Their reassurances did little to lighten Boyd's expression and he slammed down the case file before beginning to pace in front of the glass board thingy again.

'How am I supposed to run a unit, and catch the killers, and make sure no-one get killed when I've only got half a team…' he began muttering.

Stella smiled at the idea that Boyd though of Grace as half his team rather than one of four. She quickly checked herself though; if he caught a glimpse of a smile then there would be hell to pay.

Luckily the team didn't have to sit in silence while Boyd paced and ranted much longer, as the doors to CCHQ swung open.

'Grace!' cried Spence as though he hadn't seen her in a month 'we were starting to think you'd tried to pull a sneaky sicky'.

'Where the hell've you been Grace' began Boyd in his typical exasperated tone. He looked up from his pacing and stopped immediately – concern filling his eyes as he looked at the profiler standing before him.

Grace looked pale and as though she hadn't slept all night. The dark bags under her eyes only emphasising the worry written all over her face.

'Peter… can we talk please?'

Boyd nodded mutely, half-afraid of what would come next. She'd called him Peter for a start which was never a good sign.

He followed her out of the room and closed the door to his office softly – something that had rarely, if ever, happened before.

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Boyd and Grace sat facing each other on opposite sides of the desk, each as grave as the other. Boyd's look was one of confusion and concern, Grace's was expressionless as she stared at her hands placed on the desk edge before her.

'What are you trying to say Grace?' said Boyd gently 'I don't understand, I just…'

He fell silent again, dark eyes imploring Grace to look up, to speak to him.

'Peter, its Amy. She's, what I'm trying to say is she is…' Grace gave up and sighed heavily, looking Boyd straight in the eye.

'She's what Grace?'

'She's you daughter Peter'.

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	4. Chapter 4

Spence and Stella pulled their white lab-coats on as the doors swooshed open and they stepped into Eve's inner sanctum.

'Got anything interesting yet?' asked Spence striding over to where Eve stood peering critically at the skull of the former dancer on her examination table.

'Yes actually' replied Eve still absorbed in her task, 'there seems to be some very unusual fracture lines on the base of the skull, some sort of impact from a blow of sorts, but not from a blow to the head.'

'Some sort of severe trauma to the neck then? Like when she was little?' asked Stella leaning in for a closer look.

'Maybe' said Eve, putting down her tweezers. 'Any word on Boyd and Grace yet?'

'Nope. Not a peek' answered Stella 'no shouting, no throwing things around, not even any doors slamming.'

Spence resumed his moody puzzled look from the previous evening.

'Careful Spence you might over do yourself there' laughed Eve 'something bothering you?'

'Yeah… I'm not sure what though. Grace. Amy…' he trailed off again, staring intently at the floor.

Stella and Eve both started laughing.

'What?' asked Spencer, looking even more confused.

'If you're trying to work out how old she is, looking for a date then I'm sure Grace won't mind you taking her daughter out.'

'No its not that, it's just… oh I don't know' huffed Spence 'Maybe I will just ask her on a date and it'll come back to me'.

'That's more like our Spence' smiled Stella 'you had us worried there for a bit, letting a stunning blonde like Amy just pass you by.'

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'Pardon?'

Boyd was staring at Grace as though she'd just announced she was running to be the next Pope. His eyes were darting back and forth over her features, trying to read her expression – and failing miserably like usual.

'Amy, she's your daughter Boyd'

'Really? But how do you know, how can you tell, how do they know?'

He gave up trying to ask anymore questions and reached out to cover Grace's hand with his own.

'The letter they brought here yesterday – it was from the hospital. They'd both gone for blood tests and… she's not Martin's daughter…you're her father Peter'

Boyd was leant over the desk, now with both of Grace's hands in his own. Their heads were almost touching, but Grace couldn't quite bring herself to look him in the eye.

'Are you sure?'

Grace's head shot up, blue eyes flashing.

'Yes! I take it you mean to say how many other men was I sleeping around with at the time?'

'No Grace, I never meant that' said Boyd softly 'but it got you to look at me didn't it'

She nodded, and finally looked at him properly; her eyes full of one hundred different emotions all fighting to get out.

'That's… that's just… that's probably the best news I've ever had in my life' said Boyd, still completely shell-shocked by the revelation. A smile formed on his lips, 'Grace that really is the best news I've ever had.'

'Really?'

'Really'

Grace smiled, all her fears and worries and doubts gone in an instant as she saw the pure joy on the face of the man opposite her.

Words had completely failed them both. They sat there, hands clasped, just staring, smiling, trying to comprehend the situation.

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	5. Chapter 5

Back in the lab, Eve was smoking under the extractor fan while Spence and Stella tried to find any reason to avoid having to go back up to the bullpen.

'I spy with my little eye, something beginning with c'

'Corpse!' crowed Spence with delight. 'I love that you're French you know, I might actually have a chance of winning one day'

'I wouldn't push it Spence' chuckled Eve 'there's only so many things you can pick in a sterilised lab'.

'Sterilised?' coughed Spence, 'and here's me thinking I can smell cigarette smoke'

'True' shrugged Eve, stubbing out her cigarette 'but it's the only think that gets me through the day'.

They all laughed, friends enjoying a private joke, when the lab doors swooshed open admitting both Boyd and Grace.

Spence straightened his face immediately but soon found himself smiling again as he registered the pure happiness in the eyes of his Boss and the profiler. He turned and gave Stella and Eve an 'I-told-you-so' glance as he finally realised what it was about Amy that had been bugging him.

Boyd cleared his throat, suddenly a little nervous making such an announcement to his team. Grace could sense his unease and squeezed his hand gently. She looked into his eyes and felt the tears start to form as she saw the immense pride he held there.

The little look and hand-holding didn't escape the eagle eyes of Stella and Eve and they grinned at each other triumphantly as they waited for Boyd to speak.

Boyd cleared his throat once more and started to speak, not sure whether he would be able to keep his emotions in check for much longer.

'I've got an announcement to make to you all. And don't interrupt me or else you'll be on paperwork for the rest of the month.'

The rest of the team suppressed their smiles; they all knew how hard it was for Boyd to admit to feeling any less than manly emotion.

'I'm a Dad again.'

Stella and Eve's mouths dropped to the floor in shock as they stared from Boyd to Grace's stomach and back to Boyd again.

'I knew it!' yelled Spence punching the air and rushing to hug Grace, before regaining his composure to shake Boyd's hand.

'Grace, you're pregnant!?' gasped Stella, as Eve just opened and closed her mouth.

Grace laughed and shook her head, blue eyes twinkling.

'No Stella, no I'm certainly not pregnant. But why did you assume Boyd's baby would also be mine?'

'I just… you know' burbled Stella, looking in panic for Eve to back her up.

Boyd and Grace both laughed this time - the two women's evident shock and confusion breaking the ice.

'My daughter, Amy, is… well she's Boyd's as well, he's her father'

Stella and Eve remained staring in silence as the news sunk in.

'You two thought you knew everything' gloated Spence happily 'but I was the one who noticed a resemblance, and neither of you had a clue!'

Eve finally recovered 'Yeah but Spence you only noticed because she's blonde, and beautiful, and you wanted to ask her on a date'.

Spence stopped chuckling to himself and studiously avoided Boyd's glare.

'Sorry Boss'

'That's alright Spence, but the answer is no'

'Boyd!' admonished Grace 'give him a chance, after all you never even knew she was your daughter until half an hour ago!'

'Yeah, well you didn't know until yesterday' shot back Boyd playfully 'and you've brought her up for the last 23 years'.

Grace raised her hands and shrugged sheepishly,

'True, true, But I also never knew I'd be keeping an eye on you for another 23 years'.

Stella sensed the younger team members wouldn't want to linger near the two love-birds much longer and quickly cut-in.

'Well, I'm very happy for you both. I couldn't think of two people more like an old married couple if you asked me.'

'Less of the_ old_, thank-you DS Goodman' said Boyd mock-sternly 'unless you're volunteering for the paperwork that is?'

'No Boss, I'll leave that for the lovely Spence. By the way I feel it is my duty sir to warn you that the Spencemeister over there is a bit of a lothario, or so I've been told. You might want to keep on eye on Amy if I were you'

'Stella' cried Spence, throwing up his arms in exaggerated exasperation 'I would like to keep my manhood intact thanks very much!'

The team burst out laughing and Grace hid her face in Boyd's shirt, unable to control her laughter at his expression of mingled horror, agony and amusement.

'I'm watching you Spencer Jordan, don't you forget that'

Boyd smiled wickedly as genuine worry flashed across the DI's face and Stella was almost in hysterics. Eve lit up another cigarette feeling it more than justified in the current circumstances.

'Now' said Boyd 'who's up for a Pub lunch, on the house?'


End file.
